JTR Exhibition in Docklands

[anna]

Just read about the first Jack the Ripper exhibition to be opened in London. Will be at the Museum in Docklands from 15th May to 2nd November. Will use police records from the time.The publicity mentions theories about it being gentry or Royalty and the curator Julia Hoffbrand says most of the suspects names didn't appear until after WW2.The exhibition will be accompanied by a series of lectures and guided walks around the streets where the murders happened.Anybody know anything else about this?

[George Hutchinson]

Hi Anna (and thanks for the PM I really must reply to)

It's been fairly well-known for some time and is discussed in several places on the boards. It is supposedly a major and serious exhibition - I haven't had the impression thus far that it will be going with populist myths.

I just hope they do it justice - I have the horrible feeling the guides they use won't be up to scratch and I'd be interested to see what the lecture series will include (and who the speakers will be).

PHILIP

[anna]

Hi Philip,Evidently one of the guides in a guy called "Jonty" who was on Big Brother,complete with teddy!!!!- my son says he works there.Not sure how much knowledge of JTR he will posses....could be interesting!!!!!!!

[Bulldog]

This looks very interesting. I'm going to take it in.

Here's the website:

http://www.museumindocklands.org.uk/English/EventsExhibitions/Special/JTR/

Bulldog

[m_w_r]

... I'd be interested to see what the lecture series will include (and who the speakers will be).

You don't think it's going to be Jealous Pedant Dispenses Lies, do you, Philip?

Regards,

Mark Ripper

[George Hutchinson]

Mark - no, they stressed a GUIDE, not a pillock.

Anna - That is very, very odd. I shall explain. Jonty has just joined The Ghost Club and we spent ages talking in the bar after a lecture a couple of weeks ago. We got on very well indeed (in spite of his teddy bears and a Dr Who fixation, he's extremely bright and seemingly well-balanced). Now... we got talking about JTR as I had to leave to go and take a tour, and he said he was interested and would like to come along on one of my tours to learn more. He actually, as far as I know, knows almost nothing about JTR at present, though he is keen on becoming a tour guide and I feel he could pull it off. Thing is, though, he works at the Museum of London and not at Docklands, so I don't know where that's come from.

PHILIP

[George Hutchinson]

Oh God. I've just seen the cover for the exhibition book. This is one of the worst JTR covers of all time. Why, why, why???!!!



I was told they were keen to stock TLoJtRTaN but I've not heard anything more on that one.

PHILIP

[anna]

Hi Philip,It was my son who thought Jonty worked at the Docklands museum,I expect he thought that was the museum of London,as he's not a history person.He's worked in television,and said Jonty was a nice,bright bloke and the teddy was just for effect on Big Brother.

[anna]

By the way,I agree, that is a crap cover.I wonder if Peter Ackroyd is going to be one of the key people involved in this.

[anna]

Hi Philip, my son has just walked into the room.Evidently,Jonty used to work at the Museum in Docklands before he went into Big Brother.When he came out of the show he went to work at the Museum of London. He is featured on the website of the Museum in Docklands at the moment,as he has returned there to give some tours.Here is the link,as you might like to have a look:

http://www.museumindocklands.org.uk/English/EventsExhibitions/Tours/

[Jana Oliver]

I note the admission is £7 (at least on the date I checked), which I think is on top of the usual £5 admission rate. Fortunately, I kept my ticket from last Oct so I can get the museum admission free for one year. You do have to pre-book online, it appears.

I so hope this thing rocks. It's one of the reason I'm turning my credit card into molten plastic to make the journey over the pond in less than a year. They MUST have educated guides, however. If I know more than they do (and I'm not a truly dedicated Ripperologist) then they're in trouble, though I suspect the "masses" will not notice.

[Bulldog]

They MUST have educated guides, however. If I know more than they do (and I'm not a truly dedicated Ripperologist) then they're in trouble, though I suspect the "masses" will not notice.

Why do I think that the guides might be college students hired for the summer and then sent out on their tours after they memorize a short script and receive just enough training to make sure that they don't get lost? And of course you are right, the 'masses' most likely will never notice. Most of them want to be entertained, not informed.

I'll forego their guided tour and stick with our own Philip Hutchinson.

Bulldog

[nicole]

Hi all,

Phil, you say:

Oh God. I've just seen the cover for the exhibition book. This is one of the worst JTR covers of all time. Why, why, why???!!!

Whatever do you mean?? The guy on the cover is the ringer of Jack. They've gotten the top hat and the fog spot on! (They seem to have forgotten his gladstone bag and cape....ah well!)

yours
Nicky

[Mike Covell]

I heard they are going to have a centre piece based on ripper tour guides, similar to the exibit in the Millenium Dome, you can walk around a giant pair of Philip Hutchinsons shorts, whilst looking at ripper guides past and present

[George Hutchinson]

My, so much to reply to!

OK...

Anna - The teddy bears are not actually for effect. Jonty really does have a huge collection of them! I had seen his tour stream of the Docklands Museum before I visited the place (and, by the way, he doesn't talk about Big Brother at all unless you ask him; he's got little ego).

Jana - I hear you and I empathise. I do this whenever I'm seeing a Ripper film with someone else, yelling at the screen and telling whoever I'm with what is wrong, which must really wind them up. God help them if they don't get this absolutely spot on. If we want nonsense, we can get it at The London Dungeon.

Bulldog - You charmer. You've not been on a tour with me yet - you might hate it.

Nicole - Stop it, you. It's not accurate because there's no coach behind him with a Royal crest on it and a very young, stunningly attractive blonde next to it.

Mike - A giant pair of shorts would be life-size. And shut up.

PHILIP